Minneapolis declares Snow Emergency

Help spread the word to keep your friends and neighbors from having their cars ticketed and towed

Minneapolis officials have declared a Snow Emergency beginning today, Jan. 15. City crews have been plowing and treating streets to keep them drivable. Now that a Snow Emergency has been declared, parking restrictions will take effect beginning at 9 p.m. tonight so crews can plow more than 1,000 miles of streets as wide as possible. That’s the equivalent of 3,200 “lane miles” of streets that need to be plowed—enough to plow a lane from Minneapolis to Anchorage, Alaska.

When a Snow Emergency is declared, parking rules go into effect so plows can clear the streets and fire trucks, police cars, ambulances and other vehicles can then get around and park. Plowing the streets completely requires vehicles parked on streets to move. It’s in everyone’s best interest to follow the parking rules so plows can do the best job possible, and folks can avoid a ticket and tow.

Snow Emergency parking rules

Tonight, Jan. 15, 9 p.m. to 8 a.m. (Day 1)Do not park on EITHER side of a Snow Emergency route until 8 a.m., or the street is fully plowed.

Tuesday, Jan. 16, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. (Day 2)Do not park on the EVEN numbered side of a non-Snow Emergency route until 8 p.m., or that side of the street is fully plowed, or on EITHER side of a parkway until 8 p.m., or the parkway is fully plowed.

Wednesday, Jan. 17, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. (Day 3)Do not park on the ODD numbered side of a non-Snow Emergency route until 8 p.m., or that side of the street is fully plowed.

Residents, workers and visitors have a number of ways to learn when Snow Emergencies are declared and what to do when they are. The City advises drivers to put many of these tools to use, not just one or two. The more ways people use to learn about a Snow Emergency, the more prepared they will be to do their part, and the less likely they will be towed.

·Hotline – By calling the automated 612-348-SNOW hotline, folks can find out if a Snow Emergency has been declared. If a Snow Emergency is in effect, the hotline will have information on that day’s parking restrictions that drivers need to follow to avoid tickets and tows. The hotline includes information in English, Spanish, Somali and Hmong.

·The City’s website – Go to www.minneapolismn.gov/snow to find out whether a Snow Emergency has been declared and for a wealth of information on Snow Emergencies in many languages. Also, check out the street lookup, which lets you put in an address or a neighborhood to see where you can park during a Snow Emergency.

·Phone alerts – Minneapolis uses a community notification voice messaging system to notify residents when Snow Emergencies are declared. It is an automated system that can place thousands of calls per hour. You can add your cellphone or unlisted landline number to the alert system by signing up at www.minneapolismn.gov/snow.

·App for Android devices and iPhones – Drivers who have Android devices or iPhones can download the Snow Emergency app. During a Snow Emergency, the app will tell them the parking rules for that day. It also has a street lookup, which allows users to see the parking rules in detail by entering an address, or using the device’s location services features.

·The media – News releases are sent to the media so TV, radio stations and other news outlets can inform their viewers and listeners that a Snow Emergency is in effect.

·Cable TV – Tune in to Minneapolis 14 (Tune to SD channel 14 or HD channel 799 on Comcast or SD channel 8001 or HD channel 8501 on CenturyLink).These channels will have information in several languages when a Snow Emergency is declared.

Sidewalks are a critical part of our city’s transportation system, and they should be open for everyone. That’s why Minneapolis ordinance requires property owners to clear sidewalks within 24 hours after a snowfall for houses and duplexes, and four daytime hours for all other properties. Failure to shovel your walk could lead to a ticket plus the cost of crews shoveling it.

There may be resources for people who need help clearing their sidewalks. People can call 311 for a list of resources that might be available.

Published Jan 15, 2018

QUICK LINKS

Accessibility: For reasonable accommodations or alternative formats, contact 311. People who are deaf or hard of hearing can use a relay service to call 311 at 612-673-3000. TTY users can call 612-673-2157 or 612-673-2626.